Container



T. T. LOGIE April 24, 1951 CONTAINER Filed Oct. 2, 1947 INVENTOR. THUMAS T LUG'IE ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 24, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER Thomas T. Logie, Bridgeport, Conn assignor to The Stratfield Company, Bridgeport, Conn, a

corporation of Connecticut Application October 2, 1947, Serial No. 777,457

2 Claims. (01. 220-3.94)

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in electrical wiring devices and has particular relation to a metal can or container for ballasts used in connection with fluorescent lighting.

An object of the invention is to provide a container for the purpose specified and which is of simple and inexpensive construction and which may be easily assembled and easily taken apart to permit of servicing or factory salvage and which is of a cross sectional configuration and size to be received in the usual cable raceways or conduits employed in electrical Wiring.

Qther objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the invention is shown. However, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a plan view showing a blank from which the body of the present container is to be formed;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of one end piece used in making the container;

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the opposite end piece;

Fig. 4 is an edge view of the end piece of Fig. 2

looking toward the lower edge of the same;

body and end pieces;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken as along the line 88 of Fig. '7;

Fig. 9 is a bottom plan view of the bottom closure and mounting member for the container body;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken as along the line ll0 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is an end elevational view of the bottom closure and mounting member of Fig. 9;

Fig. 12 is a bottom isometric view of the completed device;

Fig. 13 is a view showing a pair of devices as mounted in a cable raceway or conduit, the latter being shown in broken lines; and

Fig. 14 is an end view showing the completed being shown in broken lines and leads being shown in place.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the container of the invention comprises a hollow elongated receptacle generally designated IO and of a cross sectional configuration and size to be received in a cable raceway or conduit commonly employed in electrical wiring and which conduit is suggested by broken lines at H in Figs. 13 and 14. Container [0 comprises essentially a body I2, end pieces [3 and I4, and a bottom or side closure and mounting member I5.

Container body I2 is blanked and formed and the other parts l3, l4 and 15, which together with the body make up the container, are also blanked and if necessary formed, avoiding the expense incident in drawing of these parts. Further, according to the present invention, the parts are easily and rapidly assembled without welding or other costly operations whereby an effective container for the purpose intended is made without undue expense. To the desired end, a blank from which the container body 12 is to be formed is provided and the same is shown in Fig. 1 wherein it is generally designated [6. Of course the size of the blank will depend on the size of the container to be made but the blank is shown as rectangular and the same adjacent opposite transverse'edges is provided with short slots. Four such slots are provided in each such transverse edge and for the purpose of further description, the slots are designated I1, l8, I9, 20, 2|, 22, 23 and 24. Bend or fold lines are indicated in the blank by longitudinally extending dotted lines 25, 26, 21, 28,29, 30, 3| and 32.

In the present container the dotted lines 25-32 may represent score lines if desired. Bending of the blank along the designated lines provides a body, the transverse configuration of which is fully shown in Fig. 6. Thus, bending of the blank along lines 28 and 29 provides a flat Wall or portion 33 for the body while bending of the blank on the lines 21 and 30 provides corner offsets 34 and 35 and bending of the blank along lines 26 and 3! provides lower inwardly directed portions 36 and 31. Transverse bending of the blank on the lines 25 and 32 provides in the body inclined downwardly and outwardly extending lip-like portions 38 and 39 along longitudinal edges of the body.

These portions 38 and 39 in the formed body are indicated by the same reference characters in the blank iii of Fig. 1. It is noted that the slots device in a cable raceway or conduit, the latter .56 I8 and 22, and i9 and '23 extend across the end portions of the pairs of fold lines 21 and 28, and 29 and 30 and thus, in the formed body I2, these slots appear adjacent the ends of the body and through the offsets 34 and 35, respectively. Body portions 36 and 38, and 31 and 39 define grooves, bight portions or channels 13 and I4 at the respective longitudinal edges of the body.

The slots I! and 2I, and 20 and 24 cross the ends of the respective fold lines 25 and 32 and in the formed body I2 appear at the ends of the body through the bight portions or channels I3 and I4 at the longitudinal junctures of the body portions 36 and 38, and 31 and 39, respectively. These various slots enter into the assembly of the completed container as will later more fully appear.

The container end piece I3 is blanked from a piece of fiat stock and comprises a flat body portion which in plan (see Figs. 2 and 6) is of a size and configuration to be received within the end portion of the formed body I2 and to close such end portion. Thus, end piece I3, in addition to its body, includes a pair of upstanding ears or lugs 40 and III, a straight edge portion 42 between said lugs and then shaped side edges 43 and 44 corresponding with those of the inner side surfaces of body I2 and toward their lower edges having cut-outs 45 and 46 which terminate in wedge-shaped portions 41 and 48.

Intermediate its lower edge, the end piece I3 is provided with a tongue or lug 49. A pair of openings 59 for the passage of conductors through the end I3 are provided and the end, about such openings, is stiffened by annular flanges or collar-like portions I about the openings and extending from the inner faces of the end.

Referring now to the end piece I4, the same is blanked from a piece of fiat stock and since it is to close the other end of the body I2 is of the same configuration as that of the end I3 and thus in addition to a flat plate-like body includes a pair of ears 52 and 53, wedge shaped lower portions 54 and 55, a tongue portion 56, and an opening 51 for a lead. Such opening is strengthened by a drawn-up flange or collar 58 located at the inner side of the body of the end piece.

The closure and mounting member I4 is also blanked and formed of sheet metal and the same is essentially of the size of the open side of the body I2. Member I5 thus includes an elongated body 59 having container mounting ears 68 extending from its transverse ends and which ears may be kerfed or perforated for the passage of securing means. One longitudinal edge (H of the body 59 is folded into inclined overlapping relationship with the body and the resulting flange-like portion 6| is adapted in the assembly of the container to receive the inclined edge portion 38 or 39 of the body I2.

The other longitudinal edge of the body 59 is designated 62 and is shown as bent into sub stantially right-angular relationship with the body 59. This is to facilitate assembly of the complete container as will later more fully appear. The described relationship of the edge portions or flanges BI and 62 is best illustrated in Fig. 11, while in Fig. 9 the longitudinal edge portions of the member 59 are suggested by full lines in the positions occupied by them in the completed container.

To stiffen the member I5 and thus the entire container and to prevent or sharply reduce vibration due to A. C. hum when the device is in use, a pair of beads 63 are pressed or formed in the body 59 of the member extending longitudinally thereof for a substantial distance. Toward each end, member I5 has a pair of inwardly or upwardly struck portions 64 and 65, each transversely slotted as at 66 and 61, respectively. Portions 64 and 65 are somewhat elongated and the slots extend transversely of the portions and each portion provides a recess or depression in the lower side of the member and a bump or raised portion in the upper side of said member. The purpose of this construction will later be set forth.

After the various parts are formed, the ballast is completed by assembling the ends I3 and I4 with the body I2, placing the coils (not shown) Within the body, extending the leads through the openings 58 and 51 in the ends I3 and I4, filling the body with wax, tar, pitch or the like, as is customary, and placing. the closure and mounting member I5 on the body and securing it there.

After the blank I6 is formed into the body I2, end I3 is assembled on the body. This is accomplished by passing the lugs H and 48 of the end through the slots I8 and I9 in the body and then springing the body slightly open and moving the end further into the body to bring the cut-outs 46 and 45 of the end into alignment with the slots I! and 20 in the junctures of the body portions 36 and 38, and 3'! and 39, respectively. Then as the sides of the body are released and spring toward one another, the slots I! and 29 receive the end portions at the inner edges of the cut-outs 46 and 45 as suggested in Fig. 8. It will be understood that the body is somewhat resilient being formed up of sheet metal and thus the end wlll be securely held.

The end piece I3 is mounted by the lugs 41 and 40 and by the engagement of kerfed portions'of the end in the notches I! and 28 of' the body. In addition to the end piece being securely mounted, the end having a snug fit in the body, the body is held in the desired shape against collapse and is quite firmly braced and closed at one end by said end piece I3.

In assembling the end piece I4 on the body, the lugs 53 and 52 of said end are inserted through the slots 22 and 23 of the body and then the end of the body is slightly opened to permit of snapping of end piece I4 into the body to have the inner edges of the kerfs or cut-outs 68 and 69 of the end piece partly received in the slots 2I and 24 of the body in the same manner that the inner ends or edges of the cut-outs 46 and 45 of end I3 are received in the slots I1 and 20 at the opposite end of the body. This serves to securely mount the end piece I4 to the body and the latter serves as a closure and brace for the body.

The assembly having been completed as far as described, the necessary coils, etc. are mounted in the body and the leads carried through the openings 50 and 51 and the body filled with wax, tar, pitch or the like. Next, the closure and mounting member I5 is mounted on the body over the open side thereof -between theedge portions 38 and 39 thereof. This is accomplished by hooking the inwardly bent edge 6| of the closure and mounting over one of the flanges 38 and 39 and aligning the slots 66 and 61 of the member I5 with the projecting tongues 49 and 56 of the end pieces I3 and I4. Then the closure is snapped down with the straight longi tudinal edge 62 extending above a longitudinal edge 38 or 39 of the body and partly across the space represented by the longitudinal channel above such flange.

Now the apparatus may be tested and if found unsatisfactory, the closure may be easily removed to permit of factory salvage. If the apparatus is satisfactory and passes the test, the closure flange 62 is pressed or folded inwardly over either the flange 38 or the flange 39 of the body depending upon the side adjacent which the flange 62 is located. Thereafter, the tongues 49 and 56 are bent over into the recesses or depressions in the inner sides of the portions 64 and 65. The bent over tongues are shown in Fig. 12 and in Fig. 10, tongue 56 is shown in dotted lines in the act of being passed through the slot 51 and thereafter is shown also in dotted lines as bent over or clinched.

In Figs. 13 and 14, the containers of the invention are shown located within cable raceways or conduits customarily employed in electrical wiring, such raceways or conduits being shown in dotted lines. While two containers, generally designated and II, are illustrated in Fig. 13, it will be understood that the number is immaterial. The conduit H is shown as provided with contact bars or lugs 12 to which leads from the containers are secured or electrically engaged. Further, it is noted, particularly with reference to Fig. 14, that the reversedly bent longitudinal portions 36 and 38, and 31 and 39, respectively, of the body l2 provide the channels 13 and 14 at the longitudinal edges of the containers and within the general outline of them and which channels serve, when the containers are mounted in raceways or conduits, to accommodate electrical conductors 15. The leads from the containers and through the openings 50 and the end pieces I3 of the latter are designated 16 while the lead through the opening 51 of the end piece I4 is designated I1.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a-metal container for the purpose specified, an elongated sheet metal body consisting of a side wall and edge walls whereby the body is open through its ends and one side, said body having its edge wall portions along its open side bent to provide transversely wedge-shaped channels extending along the longitudinal edges of its open side, said body having slots through its side wall and through the bights of said wedgeshaped portions adjacent the body ends, sheet metal end pieces of substantially the contour and size of the inside section of the body, said end pieces in the end portions of said body, lugs on the end pieces and located in the slots in the side wall of the body, said end pieces having edge portions located in the slots through the bights of said wedge-shaped portions, tongues on said end pieces and extending through the open side of said body. a separate elongated sheet metal cover and mounting member closing the open side of said body and receiving the longitudinal edges of the edge walls of said body and retaining said edge walls against separating movement whereby the end pieces are retained in said slots and against movement relative to the body, said tongues of the end pieces passing through said cover and mounting member and locking the same to the body against movement relative thereto, and mounting ears integral with and extending from the transverse ends of said cover and mounting member.

2. In a metal container for the purpose specified, an elongated metal body consisting of a side wall and edge walls whereby said body is open through a side and its ends, said edge walls in their portions adjacent the open side of the body bent inwardly and then outwardly to define channels extending longitudinally of the body, sheet metal end pieces closing the ends of said body, said body Walls adjacent each of their ends having slots therethrough including substantially aligned pairs of slots through the bights of said channels, said end pieces entering said aligned pairs of slots at the respective ends of the body, lugs on aid end pieces and passing through other slots in the body, a closure and mounting memher over the open side of said body and holding the edge walls thereof against movement from one another whereby the end pieces are retained in said slots and against movement relative to the body, mounting ears extending from the transverse ends of said closure and mounting member, and other lugs on said end pieces and passing through said closure and mounting member and clinched whereby the closure and mounting member is secured over the open side of said body and against movement relative thereto.

THOMAS T. LOGIE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 564,492 Westerbeck July 21, 1896 1,456,385 Kvarnstrom May 22, 1923 1,534,723 Lewis Apr. 21, 1925 1,774,934 Mangin Sept. 2, 1930 2,099,117 Kelsay Nov. 16, 1937 2,308,600 Gaynor Jan. 19, 1943 2,316,404 Carter, Jr Apr. 13, 1943 2,489,245 Sola Nov. 22, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 6,054 Sweden Oct. 12, 1894 

